Sectional jacket and section-connecting staple



Patented Mar. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES SECTIONAL JACKET AND SECTION-CON- NECTING STAPLE Application July 20,

5 Claims.

This invention relates to sectional heat insulating pipe jackets or coverings and to staples for connecting together the sections about the pipe.

A heat insulating jacket or covering usually comprises a thick walled tube of suitable insulating material separated longitudinally into two half sections which can be spread apart for application over the pipe, the two sections being thereupon brought together to encircle the pipe. Heretofore the sections have usually been held together by flexible metal bands or the like which encircle the insulating jacket.

It is an object of the present invention to cheapen the cost of securing the two parts of the jacket together about the pipe by the use of a special form of inexpensive staple which can be inserted into the jacket across the line of separation of the two halves thereof and to provide a cover material for the jacket that cooperates with the staples to retain them in place.

A further object of the invention is in an improved form of staple particularly adapted to secure together the two halves of a heat insulating pipe jacket and provided with resilient barbs the ends of which underlie the outer cover of the jacket and thereby are retained in place.

A further object is generally to improve the construction of staples and pipe coverings.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sectional heat insulating jacket or pipe covering having its sections secured together about the pipe in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a staple embodying the present invention.

Fig. 4 is an end View of the staple of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of forming the point and barbs of the staple of Fig. 1.

The heat insulating pipe covering or jacket forming a part of the present invention is herein shown in Fig. 1 as applied to the pipe ill. The jacket i2 is tubular and has an internal diameter suited to fit the external diameter of the pipe and has a relatively thick wall M formed of suitable heat insulating material that is relatively soft or yielding. The jacket in accordance with this invention has an outer imperiorate cover or wrapping I6 of relatively tough imperforate material of the nature of a kraft paper sheet which completely surrounds the jacket. The jacket is divided longitudinally along the line 18 into two half sections 20 and 22, the line 1935, Serial No. 32,399

of division passing through the paper cover I6 on one side of the jacket, herein shown in Fig.

2, as the top side of the jacket but not through the paper cover on the other side or bottom of the jacket. Thus the paper cover traverses the 5 line of division on the bottom side of the jacket and functions as a hinge member to permit the two halves of the jacket to be spread apart sufficiently to permit the pipe to be located therebetween, whereupon the two halves are brought 10 together and are adapted to be secured in juxtaposed position upon the pipe as illustrated in Fig. 2.

In accordance with this invention the securing means comprises a series of staples 24 which are 15 inserted in the jacket at suitable longitudinally spaced intervals thereof and traverse the line of division of the two halves, thereby holding the two halves of the jacket together about the pipe. The staple is formed of a wire or ribbon that is 20 wider than itis thick and is reflexed transversely of its widthto provide the parallel confronting legs 26 and the intermediate or connecting member 28. The legs are of sufiicient length to pass Well into the body of insulation and the connect- 5 ing member 28 is of sufiicient length to traverse the line of division and permit the legs to be inserted in the two halves of the jacket a sufficient distance beyond the line of division to prevent the insulating material and the cover It from 30 tearing.

The staple is provided with resilient barbs 39 which are integral with the legs at the free ends or points thereof and extend upwardly in divergent confronting relation with the outer 35 faces of the legs. The free upper ends of the barbs are blunt and are terminated close below the bottom face of the connecting member 28 by a distance not much greater than the thickness of the cover It. The manner of forming 40 the barbs is illustrated in Fig. 5. The ribbon from which the staple is made is provided at its opposite sides with V-shaped notches or indentations 32 that define lines of fold for the ribbon. The ribbon is bent along these lines into the positions indicated for the barbs, the notches also providing points 34 for the legs and barbs at their region of jointure. These points are reduced to an approximately sharp or chisel edge by an impacting operation, the line of the edges lying in the plane of the staple.

When the insulating jacket is in place about the pipe a staple is inserted, usually by the pressure of the hand, through the cover It and into the insulating body I4 on opposite sides of the dividing line between the two halves of the jacket. The barbs 3B are sufficiently resilient so that the upper ends thereof yield inwardly or toward the legs 26 as the staple moves into position and the sheet i6 is sufficiently strong so as to cause the barbs to yield. The insulating material, however, is sufiiciently loose or yielding so that when the staple has been pushed home and the free ends of the barbs are beneath the cover IS the ends are freed and move outwardly into their normal position. The ends of the staples are thus disposed out of line with the holes 36 formed in the sheet by the entrance of the staple and underlie imperforate parts of the sheet. The sheet and the barbs thus prevent the staple from Working out of the jacket. The staple by its engagement with the cover I6 and also with the heat insulating material securely connects together the two halves of the jacket.

Staples can also be inserted in the two halves of the jacket to overlie the hinge part of the sheet It, as is illustrated in Fig. 2, if desired.

I claim:

1. A staple especially adapted for securing together the two halves of a heat insulating pipe jacket having a thin cover sheet thereabout, said staple comprising an intermediate connecting member, legs at the ends of said member, and resilient barbs connected to the ends of and divergent from the legs and having their free ends terminated close below the under face of said connecting member, the spacing between the ends of said legs and the under face of said connecting member being not much greater than the thickness of the cover sheet.

2. A staple comprising an intermediate legconnecting -member, legs extended from said member and resilient barbs integral with said legs at the ends thereof and extended upwardly over outer faces of said legs and having their free upper ends terminated close below the under face of said connecting member.

3. A staple comprising an intermediate legconnecting member, legs extended from said member and resilient barbs integral with said legs at the ends thereof and extended upwardly over outer faces of said legs and having their free upper ends terminated close below the under face of said connecting member, the region at the junction of said barbs and legs being tapered providing the legs with points.

4. A staple composed of a metal ribbon bent transversely of the width thereof into a shape providing an intermediate member and parallel legs extended from the same side of said member and also barbs which are integral with the ends of the legs and extend upwardly in divergent relation with the outer faces of said legs, the free upper ends of said legs being terminated close below the outer face of said connecting member, said barbs being sufliciently resilient to yield inwardly toward said legs when the staple is inserted into a sheet and to spring outwardly under said sheet when the ends of the barbs pass therethrough, the ribbon at the region of the junction of said legs and barbs being of reduced dimensions providing points to the legs.

5. An intermediate barbed staple product comprising a flat metal strip reflexed intermediate its ends to provide two spaced parallel sections and integral therewith a back member which connects similar ends of said sections, each of said sections intermediate their ends having confronting V-shaped notches in the opposed narrow edges thereof forming staple-points between the notches and staple legs on said sections between said notches and back member, and barbs of the free portions of the sections beyond said notches, said barbs adapted to subsequently be bent at said notches into confronting relation with said legs, said barbs and legs being of approximately equal length.

GEORGE F. LESLIE. 

